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HISTORY OF LADDER COMPANY PROCEDURES LADDERS 3 From Riverdale to Rockaway, from Douglaston to New Dorp, every ladder company firefighter to ride on one of 143 ladder trucks in NYC operates on the same page. As mentioned previously, the genesis of FDNY ladder company operations was developed at...

ROOFMAN; PART 2 The FDNY has heaps of manuals on fire fighting procedures and tactics. But one book, LADDERS 3 is the essential handbook that all ladder company members and officers must know stone cold. It is the truckies Bible, one of six ladder company reference books written by accomplished...

It's time they receive equal pay, I agree 100%.

ROOFMAN; PART 1 Ladder Companies institute a two-team offense covering their area of assigned responsibility guided by the alarm box assignment. The first due ladder company operates on the fire floor and the second due ladder company operates on the floors above. The ladder company is divided...

One of the interesting Housewatches in the city was L 8, in Tribeca. Their outside HW wall was festooned with grossly distorted melted telephones from previous jobs. It was a hoot when visitors stopped in to see their reaction.

Thanks Willy, I like little concise stories, short and sweet...just like you! More to come.

Thats true, he's in the position opposite the hoseline by himself, or until the second due OV arrives (except when the TL goes into operation). A lot of decision making.

The Outside Vent Man (OVM), had to be an experienced and determined heads up firefighter that worked alone many times. Just getting to the rear fire escape could be a nightmare hopping over fences, dogs, heaping mounds of rubbish. And that was before bunker gear...Attempting to gain entry off...

Same with me JK, I met Mike through Brian Hickey. Another shock...Mike was a beautiful fine man, loved the fire dept. Mike also had a cameo in Brothers in Battle.

Captain Bob Gass covered in L 38 for a brief period when he was promoted, yet made a lifelong impression. I worked with him a handful of tours, he seemed calm, cool, collected and confidant, circa 1986. The FDNY was blessed to have leaders of his calibre. He'd sit back and observe the kitchen...

ROW FRAME BUILDING FIRES: These buildings, as the name implies, are built in rows containing as many as twenty or more buildings. They vary in height from two to five stories. These buildings can be considered large rectangular boxes of dry lumber, capable of generating large amounts of heat...

THE ERS BOX began to replace the ubiquitous pull box handle fire alarm box in an effort to cut down citywide false alarms. The new gadget has two round buttons on the face of the box with an overlapping hinged cover that covers them. To transmit an alarm, simply lift the cover and press the...

ABANDONED DERELICT VEHICLE FIRES Almost every night tour you could expect to respond to an ADV, abandoned derelict vehicle, signal 10-23. ADV’s were the wildflowers of the urban neighborhoods. Practically every street had one or two parked at the curb in front of vacant buildings. Certain...

NEW YEARS EVE at the FIREHOUSE MEAL The firehouse meal is steep with tradition and celebration. The meal provides an opportunity for members to get together, strengthen brotherhood and build relationships. Sharing a meal together is the most communal and binding pleasure in almost every place...

L 124 "Tonka Truck." Legend has it during a very busy period of fire duty where L 124 operated, a Brother mentioned to a member of L 124 "You guys are indestructable, your like a Tonka Truck." And one of the best known monikers was born. And one of the most elite truck company in NYC.

Woody Harrelson used to be a regular, he'd come in late at night from a bender and hang out in the HW to chat. After a while we had to throw him out. Michael Broderick and Jessica Parker lived around the corner from the firehouse as did rocker Joe Jackson (Steppin' out./ Is she really go out...

FIRE ESCAPES (Summer 1983). Another hot, sweltering sticky day in the Bronx, hydrants run full blast as the odor of decaying garbage mixed with hot tar fumes from the street permeates the soupy air. Engine 88 has been assigned to the second alarm for a vacant tenement fire at Jerome Avenue near...

I lived in a similar pre war type building like this in Westchester county just north pf Bronx border, for a short period. Old wiring, balloon construction I slept with one eye open. Couldn't wait to get out. Hope all works out for the Brother.

Great photo by Joe Treza (L 103) operating at a vacant building job filled with tires. The crazy thing about these vacant building and lots were their specialty, various vacant lots were filled with tv's, some with refrigerators, some with plumbing debris and some filled with tires, etc. Vacant...

WINTER OPERATIONS Freezing weather may affect response and water supply. Prolong snowfall may create traffic congestion or obstruct streets thus resulting in delayed response of first due units and an extreme delay for special units. Hydrants may be obscured by snow or frozen. In E 88, we had...